


Splintered Soul

by Starkvenger



Series: Billy Batson Needs More Love [9]
Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bat-Dad, Billy Batson Needs a Hug, Blood, Blood and Violence, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Child Abuse, Gen, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Justice League (DCU) as Family, Mind Manipulation, Psychological Torture, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: Captain Marvel's gone to the dark side and it's up to the Justice League to figure out how it happened.And more importantly, figure out if he can be saved.
Relationships: Billy Batson & Bruce Wayne, Billy Batson & Justice League
Series: Billy Batson Needs More Love [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/732474
Comments: 25
Kudos: 204





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to make this one into its own little thing cause it's long and I'm pretty proud of it- it's way different from what I usually write.
> 
> Originally, this is from my series of One-shots!
> 
> Enjoy!

\- - -  
  


Batman paced back and forth silently, his jaw set as he walked.

One glance at the containment unit beside him would tell you everything you needed to know- or leave you with more questions than you started with. The Dark Knight glanced towards the glass-walled unit; a soft, lilac glow surrounding it as he stared at the man inside.

A torn maroon suit with a glowing lightning bolt on the chest. Electricity clinging and dancing around the form corded in muscle and gold. Harsh, icy blue eyes glaring at Batman as thick black hair fell into the figure’s face. Captain Marvel— the last person Batman ever thought would betray them…even after they’d dismissed him from the League.

The demigod’s lip curled into a snarl as Batman continued to stare at him. “ _What_ , Bruce? Gawking at the side-show attraction, are we?” the man growled, throwing spittle the in the Dark Knight’s direction as he snapped.

What had happened to the cheery man they used to know?

Marvel turned his head, snarl still on his face as he chose to glare at a point on the floor. He must have deemed Batman not worth his time.

The man sighed, turning his attention towards the door when it opened. Superman was walking towards him, tense as a wire and avoiding looking at the demigod imprisoned behind him. “Any word from Cyborg?” Batman asked.

“Not yet. He says the disc is encoded. Can’t put it in his system because there’s no telling what virus might be lurking on it.”

Captain Marvel snorted, falling backward and slamming his head against the floor. The resulting sound made both heroes outside of the glorified cage wince and glance towards him. “ _Virus_ …” he muttered with a roll of his eyes. “You people _deserve_ to get a virus in your systems…” he growled, glaring up at the ceiling. “But there’s not one on it. My master isn’t idiotic enough to put a virus on something valuable like you people.”

Bruce furrowed his brow- this was the first time Marvel had said anything that wasn’t spitting curses at them or condemning them for what he did to them- which they still weren’t sure of what _exactly_ they did, but he wouldn’t elaborate.

“…What master…?” Superman said slowly, taking a hesitant step towards the cage.

“Wouldn’t _you_ like to know, boy scout?” Captain growled with an icy glare towards the Kryptonian.

Bruce swallowed thickly, placing a hand on Clark’s shoulder. “Billy—“

Marvel was up in a split second, slamming himself against the glass in a matter of moments. His teeth bared and icy blue eyes the size of pinpricks, he snarled at them. “YOU DON’T GET TO CALL ME THAT,” he yelled, the magic surrounding the glass causing his skin to sizzle and smoke as Marvel pressed his fists against it. The man didn’t seem to notice- that, or he didn’t _care_.

“Billy is _dead_ ,” he continued, gaze flicking between the two. They were really glad Cap didn’t have heat vision right now- they’d be dead three times over. “Your League of Hypocrites _killed_ him.”

Marvel pushed off the glass, hands charred and smoking as he turned to walk away from the barrier between him and the heroes. He leaned against the back wall and slid down until he was sitting the floor limply, glaring at a spot on the floor. Some of his anger had extinguished and been replaced with what looked like resignation and exhaustion as he stared, unmoving other than the breathing of his chest.

Bruce furrowed his brow at the sight but stayed quiet on the subject.

Superman let out a shaky breath, wide eyes still staring at the demigod before Batman managed to pull him away from it and get his attention back. “Tell Cyborg to hurry up. We need whatever is on that disc. The Captain isn’t going to tell us anything about how he got like this, so that disc is our only chance right now,” Bruce said, sending the Kryptonian off.

The billionaire glanced back at Marvel, tensing at the sight of blood dripping from his fingertips.The man didn’t seem to notice again, the red liquid dripping off his skin and splatting onto the floor as he continued to stare off into space.

Bruce couldn’t help the urge to coddle the man that sprung up in the back of his mind- he was still a father, and Marvel was still only a 12-year-old kid, regardless of what he’d done.

_‘He’d tried to destroy the Justice League,’_ the logical side of him said, making the man shake his head. No- _no_. That wasn’t Marvel, he’d been sure of it at the time and he was still sure of it now. No matter how angry the man might have been with the League for kicking him out, he’d never try to harm them- not on purpose at least.

He’d never shown any kind of resentment at being kicked out before—sure, the kid was disappointed and Bruce had seen him cry about the decision first-hand, but he was sure Billy had never even thought about something like revenge— It just wasn’t like him. There had even been a stipulation that once he turned 18 he’d be welcomed back with opened arms.

Billy was a good kid at the end of the day, he always had been- he wanted to help people, no matter the cost to himself. It was probably why that Wizard he’d told the League about had chosen him for those powers in the first place.

This attack from Captain Marvel, one that consisted of the man trying to blow up the Watchtower with the League on-board, had come nearly a _year_ after he’d been dismissed. It was another thing that just didn’t add up— why would he wait so long to attack them? In Bruce's experience, people who felt like they’d been wronged attacked days, weeks, or even months after the initial incident—not nearly a _year_ after.

During his attack, Marvel hadn’t even struck anywhere that was vital— he’d attacked the electrical systems, sure, but there were back-ups, and back-ups for the back-ups. The Captain had been briefed on what was important to the satellite just like any other hero, so they knew what to defend against during an attack, but Cap hadn’t targeted any of those places when he tried to destroy the Watchtower. He's attacked the electrical systems and the medical ward- which had been empty for quite some time.

None of it made sense, and it made Bruce’s detective instincts itch at the wrongness of it all— he needed that disc and whatever was on it before he could move forward with anything else.

"No..." Marvel suddenly said, gaining the billionaire's attention as it seemed like he wasn't talking to him. "No, no..." the demigod growled, bringing a hand up as he screwed his eyes shut and lip curled into a snarl again. He slammed his charred and against his face, gripping his head as blood trailed down the side of his face. "St-stop..." he growled softly. His voice would have been inaudible had every sound made in the chamber not been amplified outside of it. 

Batman furrowed his brow slightly as he watched Marvel seemingly struggle with something inwardly- when the man dropped his bloody hand and opened his eyes, he was breathing heavily. He glanced at Bruce, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What," he growled, blood covering his eye and cheek and trailing downward to drip on the floor.

_"WHAT!?"_ Marvel snapped when Bruce said nothing. 

"You're bleeding."

Marvel sneered at him, glancing down at his hand. "What do you care?"

Bruce stayed quiet. _You were my teammate. You're my friend. You're like a **son** to me, Billy. _He pushed the thoughts away as they came, averting his gaze from the man and going to the console. He pressed a button and a compartment in the wall inside the cell opened, a white towel dropping onto it. Marvel glanced at the towel before meeting Bruce's eyes again.

" _Now_ you wanna help?" he asked slowly, pressing his hands to his knees in order to push himself up off the ground- and covering his uniform in more blood in the process. The demigod walked. towards the towel, picking it up and wiping his hands on it. They seemed to be healing rather quickly, despite the spell placed on the cell to keep Marvel from harnessing his powers. 

Good- a bloody Captain Marvel wasn't something Bruce wanted to be seared into his mind. 

"What do you mean by that?" Batman asked, leaving the console to walk towards the cell. 

The demigod wiped his face, getting most of the blood off before tossing the towel away to some corner of the cell and walking back towards where he'd been sitting on the floor. He ignored Bruce's question, choosing instead stare at him. 

"...How's Robin?" he asked suddenly, his voice flat and tone expressionless as he glared at Bruce. "Damien, I mean."

Bruce narrowed his eye slightly- this came out of left field. "Why?"

Marvel rolled his shoulder as a shrug, leaning back against the wall. "He'd understand."

The billionaire had no idea what that could mean- understand what? Part of him wanted to bring the boy up there, have the pair meet face to face and see what would happen, but the rational part of him, the part that told him Marvel was dangerous right now, knew that couldn't happen. "Right," he said, turning his attention towards the door as Flash came running in. 

"Bats- we cracked the disc. Cyborg's got it open and pulled up on one of the monitors," he said, glancing at the demigod in the cell. The man in question narrowed his eyes slightly but made no move to get up. "They're waiting for you," he continued, looking back up at Bruce.

"Hello to you too, Barry..." Marvel growled from his place on the ground, making the speedster tense.

Batman glanced back at the man and made a motion for Flash to take the lead. He followed silently, ignoring the wince from the man behind him.

\- - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys thought if this is your first time reading this bad boy- I really enjoyed writing it.


	2. Chapter 2

\- - -

**Batman glanced back at the man and made a motion for Flash to take the lead. He followed silently, ignoring the wince from the man behind him.**

\- - -

The metallic door slid closed behind him, and Bruce followed Flash into the monitor room— he furrowed his brow at the sight of the entire league gathered, some looking at him when he entered. "What's this?" he asked, looking around and making his way to the front, where Clark and Diana were standing behind Cyborg at the monitor. 

"We _all_ care about Cap, Spooky. We wanna know what happened to him. If that disc has anything to do with it, we wanna know what's on it," Hal said, stepping forward slightly and pointing towards the image of a lightning bolt on the monitor screen.

"...Fine," Bruce said, turning his attention towards the screen. "Cyborg, open it."

Victor did just that, opening the file and furrowing his brow at the sight. "They're...video files," he said, glancing back at Bruce with a furrowed brow. "That can't be good," he said with a sigh, moving the cursor to the first one and opening it. 

A dark room appeared on the screen and Cyborg pressed the play button. The timestamp read March 25th- considering it was February now, it was safe to assume the video was from last year- in fact, if it was from last year, it was a week after Billy had been dismissed from the League.

It was dark for a long time before factory lights suddenly came on, overloading the camera for a moment before light faded and an unconscious Billy Batson, tied tightly to a wooden chair, appeared, a light purple bruise on his cheekbone.

The boy's head was lolled forward, hair hanging in his face as the ropes kept him from falling completely off the chair. A sudden tension rippled through the heroes as the boy stirred, wincing at the light and opening his eyes slowly. **"Ngh... wha..."** he slurred, slowly coming to and lifting his head up slightly. **"Wha...happen..."** he mumbled, lifting his head completely and looking around in a dazed state.

He tried to move, glancing down and snapping to alertness when he found his arms pinned to his sides. **"Oh no..."** he muttered, glancing around before finally spotting the camera. The boy's brow furrowed at it, eyes narrowing slightly. **"Red light...it's recording,"** he said, eyes widening. **"Help. Help- I- I don't know where I am, I don't even know if this is a- a live feed, but if it is, please, somebody call the Justice League-"** he said, his breathing shortening to panicked breaths. 

"By the Gods..." Diana breathed.

He glanced around, straining against the ropes trapping him there. **"Uh- uh- I'm in a warehouse of some kind, um, tall ceilings, concrete floors, ki-kinda smells like fish- might be an abandoned marina or- or canning factory, I- I don't know,"** he said quickly. 

Billy strained against the ropes again, eyes screwing shut tightly in an attempt to get his arms to move anywhere. **"Shoot..."** he breathed, glancing back up at the camera. **"Can't risk it, can't risk it, can't risk it..."** he muttered under his breath, though the camera managed to pick it up.

A sudden metal door slamming shut made the boy tense, his back stiffening and eyes going wide. The heroes watching the footage tensed as well, watching the boy let out a shaky breath and stay still.

**"Wow, you woke up already. A new record,"** a new voice drawled, making the boy's eyes widen further and causing him to tremble violently. **"Though, you always were a tough little one..."** the voice continued as a shadow was cast into the ring of light Billy sat under.

**"...weren't you, Billy?"**

The 12-year-old swallowed thickly as a spindly man stepped into frame, bending over with a carving knife in his hand. He whispered something in Billy's ear, steely blue-grey eyes glancing towards the camera as he spoke. Whatever he said made Billy's face crumple slightly- it was evident the boy was trying his best not to give in to the instinct to cry. He drew in a shaky breath and pulled his head away from the old man-

Only to have him yank him by the hair back in place. The man snarled and shoved the knife under Billy's chin, blade balanced precariously close to his skin as the man held his hair tightly in a boney fist. **"You listen to me, _boy_. You've had it too good for too long..."** he growled, ignoring Billy's wincing and small sounds of pain. 

**"It's time we change that,"** the man said, pulling the knife away and thumbing the tip of it with a grin. He walked a circle around the boy before glancing at the camera. **"Day one. The subject has been injected 1 time. Re-conditioning not yet started..."** he recited, glancing at the boy as he stared wide-eyed up at the man. 

**"Don't even think about saying that word of yours, boy. The moment you do, a kryptonite bomb gets sent to that precious League of yours,"** the man said, a wicked smile spreading across his face. **"It'd be a shame to see some of those heroes get killed all because of you, wouldn't it?"**

Billy swallowed thickly, looking the old man in the eyes. **"They'll come for me. The League _will_ find me, Uncle Ebenezer,"** he said, gaze flicking towards the camera. It was smart- Billy had given them not only the man's name but his relation to Billy- so a last name as well. Batman's jaw was set, too busy focusing on the knife in the man's hand to mentally praise the boy's quick thinking.

The old man started to laugh, his shoulder bouncing as he swiped the knife lazily through the air. **"Oh, you poor, stupid child. That- that isn't a live feed. It's on a closed circuit...not connected to the internet. That's for my own personal enjoyment...the Justice League won't even know you're missing."**

Billy let out a shaky breath, shooting a worried glance towards the camera again. **"Not that they'd come if they _did_ know- after all, Captain Marvel isn't a part of their group anymore...for a _reason_."**

**"You're lying,"** Bily said, glaring up at the man and straining against the rope that held him there.

**"Am I? Why don't we call them and see?"** Ebenezer said, raising a brow with a smirk. Billy- along with the heroes watching- furrowed his brow. The man pulled out the Captain's communicator- causing the boy's eyes to widen. **"Let's just send a message..."** he started tapping on the small device, a smirk on his face when the device dinged and he turned the screen back towards the boy with a malicious grin.

**"Hmm... looks like they blocked your number..."** he drawled, a sense of visible dread washing over the boy. 

**"N-no..."** the kid breathed, tears beading in the corners of his eyes. **"No, they- they wouldn't..."** he said shakily, staring wide eyed at a point on the ground as Ebenezer set the knife down and picked up a syringe filled with bright blue liquid. He suddenly jabbed into Billy's neck, making the boy cry out before he froze, his muscles locking up.

**"Ssshh... there we go- let's just keep that in your mind, alright? Better to have that on repeat than anything else,"** he said, pulling the needle out of the boy and making him flinch. The 12-year-old glanced up at the man as he shook, small frame trembling as his pupils dilated. 

**"I'll tell you what...you tell me the identities of the Justice League so I can sell them to the highest bidder...and I'll let you go. You don't have to get hurt, boy. Just tell me their names,"** the man said, his voice sickeningly sweet as he crouched down in front of Billy.

**"G-Gg-g-"** Billy struggled, the man tilting his head curiously.

**"That'd be the drug, boy. It makes you stammer like nothing else...works _fast_ , doesn't it?"**

**"G-go-go-"** Billy set his jaw, taking in a steadying breath. **"G-Go t-to He-hell,"** the boy growled.

Ebenezer stood, sneering at the boy as he picked up his knife. **"That's strike one,"** he sneered, grabbing the boy's hair and yanking his head back. He took the tip of the knife and held it to his neck, ignoring the boy's wince of pain. **"Get three strikes, boy, and I'll start cutting off pieces of you that won't grow back,"** he growled before dragging the knife up Billy's jaw, around his chin, and to his cheekbone. 

Blood oozed out of the wound and trailed down the kid's face as tears bead in his eyes. Ebenezer let go of his hair, throwing his head forward before turning on hid heel. **"I'll be back tomorrow- maybe I'll even bring breakfast,"** he said, the lights shutting off and plunging Billy into darkness. 

Sniffling could be heard through the dark before Billy spoke softly- so softly the camera almost didn't pick it up. 

**"P-please..."** he breathed before choking on air.

The footage ended there, file closing and leaving the gathered heroes stunned. Batman swallowed thickly, Clark's hand on his shoulder steadying him and keeping him from having a breakdown. He stared at the files- there were nearly a hundred of them- it made his stomach turn to think they all could be like this one. 

"Billy..." Hal said, running a hand through his hair.

"I can't believe that's real..." Flash said, rubbing Hal's back with a shake of his head.

Diana drew her sword, still glaring at the screen where the man's face had been. "We'll just have to take vengeance on this man for what he did to the Captain- to break a warrior's spirit and splinter his soul is an unforgivable act."

"Look- as much as I _really_ don't want to see what's in these videos, we have a job to do here. We have an obligation to- to Captain Marvel. To Billy," Superman said, looking around the room. "No one goes off half-cocked until we know the full story."

"I don't understand how that message never got to us," Cyborg said, glancing back from the monitor to look between Batman and Superman. "Cap's quote-unquote 'number' isn't blocked. He just doesn't get missions from us anymore. He can still contact the League with his communicator."

"It's likely that when that message got sent out his comm was being tweaked to take it off the mission roster. It would have grounded all communications from the device," Bruce said, tearing his eyes away from the screen to look at Victor.

"Great," Flash said with a hysterical laugh, looking around distraughtly. "So we lost Cap, one of the kindest, most genuine people on the League, to this madman because of _bad timing_ ," he said, looking around and letting out a shaky breath. "This never would've happened if you guys never kicked him out," he said, looking towards the Big Three.

"I was against it from the start- who cares how old he is, he's a hero, and he's the same Cap he'd always worked with. But no- _majority vote_. That kind of thing should be unanimous or bust because this-" the blonde pointed toward the screen angrily. "This could have been _prevented!"_ he yelled angrily before Hal put a hand on the speedster's shoulder. 

"You three had better hope there's a way to fix this," Barry said, hands clenched tightly at his side. "Cause if not, I'm leaving."

\- - -

The group thinned out after that- a lot of the heroes found themselves unable to stomach seeing anything else, despite knowing it might help them understand more. They had seen enough- and more than one hero was convinced that Cap was innocent to a degree. 

The only ones left watching were the big three, along with Hal, Barry, and Victor. Batman nodded towards Cyborg, sterling himself for what they were likely to see. "Skip ahead. I think we get the idea," he said, and Victor nodded, clicking on another video.

This one started just like the last one- the room was dark, but the heroes could hear harsh breathing through the feed. The timestamp at the bottom read April 10th. The lights suddenly came on, the much thinner boy in the chair wincing slightly but not moving. Bruce tensed at the sight of him- his eyes were sunken with dark bags underneath, hair dirty and matted, dried blood cracked on his skin.

The boy was pale, the cut he'd been given in the last video they watched long having become a thin pink scar running up from his chin. It was accompanied by more scratches, bruises, and cuts- some fresh, others scarring. 

Ebenezer came into frame, stepping in front of the 12-year-old to look at the camera. **"Day 12. The subject has been injected..."** he glanced down at the smartwatch around his wrist. **"37 times. Reconditioning is holding strong- subject shows strong reaction to mentions of abandonment-"** Billy flinched. **"And the naming of any member of the Justice League,"** another flinch, this one more drastic than the first.

The old man turned his attention towards the boy, folding his hands behind his back. **"Are you ready to tell me the names of the Justice League yet?"** he asked, his tone flat as he raised a brow at the boy. Billy's eyes were wide and he was trembling, but he shook his head slowly.

Ebenezer scowled at the 12-year-old. **"Why do you stay loyal to them, Billy? They _abandoned_ you."** Billy flinched again, glancing up at the old man fearfully. **"Just like your parents... those heroes only have it out for you. If you told me who they are, I could take care of them for you..."**

**"N-nn-no..."** Billy stammered, trying to keep his head as far away from the old man as possible. " **I- I do-don't know the-their n-n-na-names-"** he lied shakily, face crumpling slightly as Ebenezer picked up his knife- it had dried blood in the edge. He turned it over in his hands, the metal glinting in the light as he walked around Billy.

**"I guess we'll have to try something else then...."** he said, jabbing the knife into Billy's shoulder and making the boy cry out in pain. **"That's right Billy, cry out- maybe Superman will hear you and come help...oh wait...that's right... Superman hates you..."** he said with a malicious grin as he twisted the knife embedded in the boy's shoulder. **"As he should. It's your own fault you got kicked out, Billy...after all, Fawcett City only started getting supervillains after _you_ put on a cape..."**

The old man pulled the knife from the child's flesh, tossing it onto a nearby table and leaving grabbing a syringe. **"We'll give you this, and see how well you do with some...electrical therapy..."** the man grinned, shoving the needle into Billy's marred, violently red neck. Multiple needle marks covered the boy's skin, dark and _definitely_ not healthy-looking.

**"See how you feel after that..."** Ebenezer said slowly, walking into the dark and shutting off the light. The feed was quiet for a moment before soft crying could be heard, Billy's voice cracking and soft in the endless darkness.

The video ended, leaving the heroes tenser than they had been previously. "Play the next one," Bruce said, his jaw set. He needed to know what this 'electrical therapy' was- if it was anything like what one of his boy's had gone through...

Victor brought up the next video, this one with a timestamp of April 11th. It started the same way- dark room, suddenly lit up with lights and showing Billy still tied to the chair. Ebenezer came into frame, ignoring the boy and heading straight towards the camera. **"Day 13. The subject has been injected 40 times. Recondition still holding strong- about to start testing with electrical...'therapy',"** he said, glancing back at the boy before looking at the camera once more.

**"Subject has an affinity for electricity in his magical form- it's uncertain if that affinity transfers to his human form, but that's what these tests are for."**

Ebenezer turned on his heel, moving into the darkness and pulling a machine into the light. He grabbed wires and turned his attention towards the boy. He was weak, that much anyone could tell- the old man sneered at him and began to untie his ropes. Billy lurched forward in his seat, only to be pushed back by Ebenezer with a growl. He moved the boy's arms and tied them to the armrests of the chair, the small raven watching him tiredly.

**"You survive this, and maybe I'll feed you again,"** he said, tying the rope around Billy's wrists tightly. Billy said nothing, his gaze moving towards the camera before it dropped to the floor weakly.

Ebenezer went back to his machine and wrapped the wires once more, wrapping them around the joints of Billy's forearms and tying them in knots. **"Stay still, you brat,"** he growled, causing Billy to flinch. The old man stood and went back to his machine, fiddling with it before looking at the boy. 

**"Good- all that's left is this new drug for you to try, Billy. It's supposed to make you feel...well, not good...but obedient. Which is good for me,"** he said, shoving a syringe into a vial filled with dark red liquid and walking up to the boy. 

**"N-nn-n-no-"** Billy struggled, trying to keep his neck guarded. It only ended up with his hair gripped tightly in Ebenezer's fist and the syringe being jammed into his neck roughly- something that made the boy cry out in pain. **"Sh-sh-sha-"** he tried before the words died on his mouth, hands tightening into fists and muscles tensing as he started to cry. **"P-p-pl-pea-"** he whimpered, looking up at the old man.

Ebenezer made no move to show he cared about the boy's current feelings, simply placing the syringe down and moving back to the machine. **"Now..."** he said slowly, a grin spreading across his slack, wrinkled face. **"Time for you to learn your place."**

The man turned the machine on with the press of a button, sending a current through the wires and making Billy scream. His cheat bowed outward as the 12-year-old's piercing screams echoed through the warehouse. The camera footage glitched out, suddenly cutting off visual- as well as cutting Billy's screams short.

"I'm gonna throw up..." Hal breathed, staring up at the screen with wide eyes.

"Yeah- yeah...same here..." Flash said, pulling off his mask and bringing his hands up to cover his mouth. "I- I can't believe..."

"...Batman...?" Superman questioned, swallowing thickly as he looked at the man who was staring up at the screen blankly. "Bruce," he tried again, reaching out a hand to place it on the man's shoulder.

"I knew it wasn't him..." Bruce breathed- it was all he could say. His mind was a flurry of thoughts and emotions- for the second time in his entire life, Bruce wanted to pick up a gun. He let out a small, shaky breath, one he was sure Clark caught, before swallowing thickly. 

"Billy..." Victor sais shakily, his hand over his mouth as moisture shined in the man's still-human eye. "That bastard... he..." he shook his head slowly. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Cyborg, maybe you should take a break," Superman said- Bruce was glad someone could keep a level head in this. He could tell the Kryptonian was shaken up- it was likely he wasn't fully processing the things he'd seen...he'd probably have a breakdown later. Bruce knew _he_ would.

"I'm fine."

"Victor you can't- you can't kill him," Flash said, looking at the man as he shook his head slowly.

"Then I'm gonna ruin his life. And to do that, I need to see as much evidence as I can," Victor said, picking another video and playing it.

\- - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would threaten Billy to get comments but....well, you guys read the chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

\- - -

**"Then I'm gonna ruin his life. And to do that, I need to see as much evidence as I can," Victor said, picking another video and playing it.**

\- - -

Victor clicked on another video, bringing it up as the heroes braced themselves for whatever it was they were about to see. It started like the others- dark room suddenly plunged into light with a timestamp of June 4th. The only difference this time was that Billy was on the floor, the chair gone and thick, metal braces around his wrists. His hair was longer and skin paler- he had way more scars than he'd had previously and seemed to favor his right side. 

The chains he was wrapped in connected to the floor, and Billy stared tiredly as the ground as the lights came on. 

**"How are we today, Boy?"** Ebenezer's voice came through the feed, though Billy didn't react. A sudden jolt up the spine had Billy tensing, his eyes wide as he sat up straight.

**"G-good, Unc- I- I mean m-m-master-"** the boy said, visibly trembling- it looked like it had physically pained the boy to say those words.

**"Hm, still scared, are we, Billy?"** Ebenezer asked slowly, his voice sickeningly sweet. **"You don't have to be, dear boy. I would never do something to you that wasn't in your best interest in the long run... now the _Justice League_ on the other hand..."** the old man drawled out, a grin appearing on his face when the boy ducked his head at the words. 

He glanced at the camera, still crouched beside the boy before standing up. **"Day...74...or is it 75...either way. The subject is obedient- it's been injected with Diamoxitate 76 times, and with seto-isatone 9 times. Obeys most commands- still haven't gotten the names of the League out of it, and I can't get it to transform either, but otherwise, a model subject. Barely speaks- which is good. It was always a chatty child."**

Billy glanced up at the man, his eyes dull and tired. There wasn't much hope left in those icy blue eyes. The boy dropped his head, staring down at the floor as Ebenezer turned towards him. **"Up,"** he said, the boy following orders immediately. **"Now- we're going to try this again, boy. Tell me Superman's identity,"** he growled, picking up a familiar knife.

Billy was quiet for a moment, twitching slightly before he shut his eyes and breathed. **"I- I don-don't know h-his n-name."**

Ebenezer growled at the boy. **"Tell me Batman's then. Tell me Wonder Woman's- Hell, tell me _anyone's_."**

Billy winced in pain, eyes flicking to the camera before meeting his uncle's gaze. **"C-Captain Marvel is Billy Batson,"** he said slowly, only to have his hair suddenly grabbed by the old man as he was yanked upward. The boy cried out in pain as Ebenezer held the knife to his throat. 

**"You think you're funny, boy?"**

**"N-n-no sir."**

Ebenezer threw the child backward, causing him to stable before the chains pulled tautly and yanked the kid to the ground with a grunt. Billy slammed against the concrete with a wheeze, getting a roll of the eyes from his uncle.

**"You're pathetic- no wonder the Justice League didn't want you. No wonder they haven't come to get you yet- They don't care about you! Why would they? You're just some street rat that they probably took pity on in the first place!"** he said with a laugh.

**"Th-that's n-not _true_ , s-sir-"**

A swift kick to the stomach had Billy sprawled out on the ground, crying and clutching his abdomen. **"You don't know what's true. I do. My word is _law_ , boy. Maybe you need a reminder of that,"** he said, grabbing a syringe of red liquid and jabbing it into Billy's neck. The boy winced but made no move to change his position from that of clutching his stomach.

**"The League isn't coming for you, Billy. You're as good as _dead_ to them. You're _mine_..."** Ebenezer breathed, smirking at the boy as he crouched down to look at him. Billy's face crumpled in pain as he brought his hands up to claw at his neck. **"And you're going to obey your master- whether you like it or not."** he said as the boy cried out in pain, nails scratching against his skin and tearing at his neck. 

He started to bleed, violent scratch marks marring his pale skin as he breathed heavily on the ground. **"Pl-please, please W-wiz- wizard- s-some-someone-"** Billy whimpered out as Ebenezer left, a metal door slamming behind him. **"I- I ca-can't d- do this anymore-"** he said weakly, dropping his hands and lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling sleepily. 

**"I just wanna die..."** he said softly, tears beading in the corners of his eyes as he swallowed thickly. **"P-please...a-an-anything bet-better than this..."** he breathed as the tears started to slip down his cheeks. **"Su-superman...please..."** he begged softly as the video ended.

\- - -

Another video was pulled up, this one with starting in a dark room like the others- the only difference was that a very familiar lightning bolt insignia glowed in the dark. Lightning danced around the dark form, lighting parts of it up momentarily before vanishing from sight. The timestamp in the corner read August 6th as the lights suddenly came on, revealing Captain Marvel, sitting on the floor with a metal collar of some kind fastened around his neck and chaining him to the floor.

His eyes were dull, face expressionless as he stared at nothing. He made no movements when the lights came on, simply sitting quietly and blinking every couple of seconds.

"Cap..." Superman breathed.

**"Day 98- Subject has been injected...uhh..who cares, _plenty of times_ , with Diamoxitate, and about 40 times with seto-isatone. The subject is obedient, only speaks when spoken to- still haven't managed to pry the names out of it, but as you can see, last session's therapy finally got a controlled, ordered transformation. Subject remains obedient in this form, thankfully, and I'll begin to run tests from here on out."**

Ebenezer turned his attention towards the demigod- the man had yet to look away from the spot on the floor where he was staring. **"Up,"** he said, walking by the man. Cap stood obediently, chains clinking as he dropped his head slightly. **"Good boy- time for another-"** Ebenezer grabbed a syringe and attempted to sink it into Cap's neck, only to have the needle snap on him. The man's lip curled into a snarl.

**"Right...bulletproof skin..."** he grumbled, tossing the syringe to the side with a huff. **"Fine- we'll administer the drugs _after_ today's tests."**

Captain Marvel didn't react, simply glancing up towards the camera before looking at Ebenezer slowly.

**"Yes sir..."** Cap's voice was hoarse and dry- there was no telling how often he was allowed to speak.

"Why doesn't he just zap the guy and run?! He could easily break those chains!" Flash asked, his eyes wide as he watched. 

"Prisoners of war that go through trauma...if bends and warps their views of reality. The things they used to be able to do with ease, they may come to think are impossible for them. I have no doubt that's what's happening here with our Captain," Diana said, her angry eyes glued to the screen.

"God..." Hal breathed.

**"Why are you here, Billy?"** Ebenezer asked slowly, circling the demigod with a smirk. **"Who left you here to die?"**

The man stared at the floor in exhaustion. **"The Justice League..."** he muttered, shoulders slumped.

**"And you know the identity of those members. I _know_ you do. So tell me who they are!"** Ebenezer said angrily, hands clenching into fists as he yelled, causing the demigod to flinch.

**"I- I..."** Marvel shut his eyes tightly, swallowing the bile rising in his throat before opening his eyes again. **"I- I don't know..."**

Ebenezer growled, face scrunching as he glared up at the man. _**"Liar."**_

**"Change back. Now. If you won't tell me what it is that I want to know, then you'll pay the price."**

The demigod obeyed immediately, muttering the wizard's name and bringing a lightning bolt down upon him. The camera feed fizzled out for a moment before returning, showing a much smaller Billy Batson standing in the demigod's place, small form trembling. The heroes collectively felt their hearts sink at the sight of him- he was shirtless, with multiple scars and gashes carved into his chest, dark bags under his dull, red-tinted eyes. 

Jagged, raised, pink scars covered his torso, thick pink Lichtenberg scars encircling the joints of his arms and trailing down his forearms. The most evident scar was the one trailing from his jaw to his cheekbone, one that looked like it had been torn open and healed multiple times over, leaving a gnarled, harsh line of raised skin.

The child looked like he'd been through Hell and back- and it made the heroes sick to their stomachs.

"Gods, no...no no..." Diana breathed, her voice breaking.

Ebenezer grabbed another syringe, jabbing it into Billy's neck- though on the other side, as the side he'd been previously jabbing it into was textured and pot-holed. The boy winced, but didn't fight the man's grip as he pulled the needle out. 

**"Remember this boy- the League could save you any time they want. Who's the real traitor, here?"** Ebenezer asked, as Billy's breathing quickened. **"I've made my intentions known from the start. The Justice League...well... they claim to be heroes. But if they're heroes, why haven't they saved one of their own yet?"**

The old man grabbed his knife, circling the boy again. **"You will obey me, Billy. Whether you like it or not,"** he said, turning the knife over in his hands as he spoke. **"Just you wait, I have something that's bound to make you see things my way..."** he said slowly, trailing the knife along Billy's neck and causing blood to dribble down out of the thin cut.

The old man left the boy alone, trembling in place. Billy fell to his knees, breathing heavily with wide eyes as a hand went to his chest and he wheezed. The light turned out, leaving Billy alone, still wheezing harshly.

\- - -

"What the Hell could that maniac possibly be talking about? He's already drugged Cap to the point where the guy- he-" Flash brought a hand to his mouth, panicked breaths coming from him as his eyes shined with unshed tears. "He's just a kid..." he said, face crumpling at the thought. "He never deserved any of this..."

Superman swallowed thickly. "I wish I would have heard him..." he breathed, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Batman was still staring at the screen- he did his best to ignore the instinct to go to Marvel's cell- it wouldn't do him any good if he went in there and couldn't help Billy. There was a drastic difference between the kid they saw on the footage and the man behind glass right now, and Bruce needed to know what that distinction was. 

"Play the next one," he said sternly.

Cyborg nodded slowly, clicking another video.

This one was one of the last videos- the timestamp read November 12th as the lights came on. Billy was Captain Marvel again, vague, blank anger on his face as he sat on the floor, still chained to the ground by the thick metal collar. His shoulders were slouched, uniform dark and once stark-white cape now a light gray. Ebenezer came into frame, circling the demigod with a cold look.

**"Up,"** he said, Marvel getting to his feet instantly and causing the chains connected to him to clink.

**"I've been informed that the beta testing for our little device has finally been complete. Now I'll give you one last chance, Captain. You either tell me who the members of the Justice League really are, or I'll send you to kill them."**

Marvel stood rigidly, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. **"N-nn-no."**

Ebenezer growled. **"I don't know how you're resisting my will, boy, but if you continue, your League is going to suffer because of it."**

Marvel's icy blue eyes glanced at Ebenezer. **"I don't know th-their names."**

The old man glanced at the camera with a sigh before looking back at the demigod. **"Then we'll start planning for their demise. You'll take the helm, and bring the heroes to their god damn knees,"** the man said, pulling out a remote and pressing a button. 

Marvel suddenly fell to his knees with a cry of pain, muscles tensing as his body jolted. Ebenezer lifted his thumb off the button and the Captain quieted, smoke trailing off his large form as he breathed heavily. **"You're mine, Boy. Either you kill the League, or you tell me who they are. Up to you."**

The video ended abruptly, confusing the heroes as the image flickered out.

"What happened?" Bruce asked, glancing at Victor.

The man shook his head. "That was it- that was the whole video."

"There's one more..." he continued, glancing back at the collected group. "Here we go."

\- - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignore the dates, they're not right, I'm just trying to show that Billy was with Ebenezer for nearly an entire //year// and the League didn't even notice.
> 
> Also, do me a favor and //never// look up drug scars.


	4. Chapter 4

\- - -

**"There's one more..." Victor continued, glancing back at the collected group. "Here we go."**

\- - -

The video Cyborg pulled up next was different from the others. The timestamp read February 8th- three days before Captain Marvel attacked the Watchtower. Four days from when they were watching the videos now. The screen was dark, a low, blinking red light serving as the only source of light in the room.

When the lights suddenly came on, Captain Marvel was sitting on the floor, eyes closed as a much more high-tech collar around his neck blinked slowly. Footsteps could be heard approaching the man, and he opened his eyes, glancing out of the corner of them to look at Ebenezer's shoes.

**"Do you understand your new mission?"** the old man asked, raising a brow as he circled the man. A small remote held tightly in his hand was the only thing the Captain focused on. **"I _said_ ,"** the man growled, holding up the remote and pressing a button- jolts ran through the demigod, making him bow his chest outward and cry out in pain.

_**"Do you understand your new mission?"** _

**"Yes, sir..."** Marvel breathed, breathing heavily as the pain faded and smoke trailed upward from his shoulders. 

**"What is it, then? We don't want any _mistakes_."**

Marvel twitched, wincing slightly before reciting the words robotically. **"Kill the Justice League. Attack the Watchtower and leave no sur-survivors,"** he said, eyes shutting for just a moment before opening again.

**"Good."**

The man continued to circle him as the demigod's expression soured slowly. His eyes took on a darker shade, muscles tensing as the old man's thumb hovered over the button on the remote. **"When you're done with that, you'll come back here, and we'll finish you off,"** he said casually, causing the raven's lip to twitch. **"The age off heroes is _over_ , Marvel,"** Ebenezer said, glancing up at the camera. 

**"You'll be the last to die- after you watch those heroes go down at your own hands,"** he said with a smirk, a dark chuckle coming from his thin frame as he grinned up at the camera. **"Luthor will be pleased- he's invested a lot of time and money into seeing this project to completion..."**

**"Shame it took a year to get this far."**

Marvel visually bit back a growl, dropping his head when Ebenezer glanced back at him. **"Now- unfortunately, that collar needs to be removed. I'd love to keep it on you, but the man in charge is insisting the League thinks it's one of their own attacking them, so..."** he said, sneering at the demigod. **"You get a short break."**

The Captain glanced up at the old man with slightly wide eyes, jaw set as Ebenezer pressed another button on his remote. The collar unlocked with a hiss, falling to the floor and clattering against the cement floor. The demigod brought a hand up to rub at his neck, rising slowly from his knees to his feet.

**"I never told you to stand,"** Ebenezer sneered, and Captain Marvel glanced slowly up at the camera one more time.

Lightning started to dance around his form as his lip curled into a snarl as he looked back at the old man. **"Sorry, Bruce,"** he breathed, getting a confused, narrow-eyed look from the old man.

**"What did you just say-"**

Ebenezer was interrupted by a sudden beam of light shooting through his abdomen, the camera shorting out before correcting to view the new light source. It looked to be a beam of pure lightning in the shape of a blade, tearing through the old man and scorching his flesh. The tearing of meat and sinew was the only sound that came from the old man as Cap pulled the blade from his abdomen and allowed it to vanish.

Blood dripped onto the floor as Ebenezer dropped like a stone, collapsing onto the cement with a dull thud as innards spilled out of him. Marvel straightened, looking down his nose at the old man with a growl. **"I already told you once, Ebenezer...but I'll tell you again, while your soul still lingers here."**

**"Go to Hell."**

Marvel crushed the remote the man had dropped under his golden boot, the device sparking under him. A sudden wince from the man had him tensing, curled fingers reaching towards his head as he fell to a knee. **"N-no- No, st-stop-"** he growled, bringing both hands to grip at his head. **"No- No, I won-won't-"** he struggled, falling to both knees. **"I ca-can't-"**

A sudden gasp from the demigod and his hands dropped, sitting back on his knees and looking around disorientedly. **"I have to..."** he breathed, swallowing thickly and standing on shaky legs. One more glance at the old man, a dark red puddle coalescing around him before the demigod moved to the console that had long-since become a part of the room. **"Cameras...cameras...where is..."** he lit up slightly at finding something, glancing back up at the camera that had recorded him for so long.

**"Hopefully you people are- are smart enough to figure this out,"** he said, eyes screwing shut and bringing a hand to his head again. **"It's- it's too loud, I- can't-"** he struggled, one hand gripping the edge of the console tightly. 

Icy blue eyes turned soft and familiar for a brief moment as they stared into the lens.

**"Please forgive me."**

The feed cut out.

\- - -

"Cap sent us the video..." Victor said as the video ended, staring up at the screen. "He- he sent it to us, and he attacked us, knowing he could get captured."

"He wants us to help him," Bruce said, steely eyes turning away from the monitor to glance around the room. "Something happened when Marvel-" he swallowed thickly. "When Marvel killed Ebenezer Batson. He started muttering about something- he was doing the same thing earlier, in the cell."

"Could it have been some kind of failsafe? Something to make sure he followed whatever orders he was given, even if that bastard wasn't around?" Hal asked, crossing his arms over his chest. with a furrowed brow. 

"It would explain why he still chose to attack us, rather than come to us for aid," Diana offered.

"Maybe he'll talk to us- has anyone tried that yet?" Barry asked, glancing at Batman. 

"We asked his a few questions, but he avoided answering them," Superman said, taking a step forward. "Maybe if we all went... if he knew that we saw what he went through-" the Kryptonian's fist tightened at his side. "We have to help him, regardless."

"Captain Marvel didn't attack anywhere vital to the Watchtower," Bruce said with a short breath. "He attacked things he either knew where hardly used or had multiple back-ups. He fulfilled the order, but he did it on his own terms. Billy is still in there, despite what the Captain may say."

"He's angry and scared- and I don't blame him. The guy was tortured for a _year,_ and none of us even knew..." Flash said, his shoulders dropping slightly. "It's no wonder he snapped at us anytime we enter the room."

"It's not just that- Look, my magic may be strong, but it's not strong enough to hold the Champion of Magic himself," Zatanna said, coming into the room and gaining the attention of the collected heroes. "Captain Marvel could break out of that if he really wanted to- he's just not trying to."

Bruce furrowed his brow at her words. "Let's go," he said, taking the lead and heading back towards the containment cell.

The assembled group walked in to find Captain Marvel in the same spot that Bruce had left him in, sitting against the wall with one leg pulled up and the other straight. The demigod opened an eye when the door closed behind the heroes before closing it with a small smirk.

"Back so soon?" he asked in a sing-song voice.

"Cut the act, Marvel. We saw the videos," The Dark Knight said, stepping in front of the others and getting closer to the cell. "We know you sent the disc."

The corner of the demigod's mouth turned up as he opened his eyes to stare at Bruce- his eyes were tired, more tired than Bruce whatever seen- on _anyone_. Captain Marvel was exhausted, an exhaustion that seeps into your bones, weighs down your very soul until it feels like a boulder is strapped to your back and you're struggling just to stay standing.

He'd never thought he'd see that kind of exhaustion on someone like Billy.

A soft puff of air through the man's nose served for a laugh as he sunk slightly against the wall. "Go ahead then. Lay it on me. Tell me I'm a monster. Tell me- tell me I deserved it, tell me that I'm never gonna see the light of day for what I did," he said, his voice solid though his hands trembled. "Tell me what you _really_ think of me, Bruce..." he said softly, running a hand through his hair.

"I've already made my bed. I know I'm not getting out of here. Not alive, at least."

Batman straightened, swallowing thickly as he glanced back at the others. He looked back at the demigod and let out a shaky breath of his own, reaching up and pulling off his cowl to look the man who, at the end of the day, under all that muscle and anger and lightning, was still just a scared, 12-year-old boy.

A boy who they'd all let down.

"I'm _sorry_ , Billy."

The demigod froze, his body tensing as icy blue eyes trailed up from the floor to look into Bruce's. There was a sudden flurry of emotions coursing through those eyes as everything and nothing seemed to run through ~~the man~~ _the_ _child's_ head and he tried to quell the emotions that came to the forefront of his mind.

Bruce could see it all- the anger, the betrayal, the desire to forgive, the guilt and pain- all of it coalesced into tears beading in the corners of those familiar blue eyes.

Captain Marvel dropped his head, bringing up both legs so that he could rest his forearms on them and guard his face as he ducked his head to hide his face. A long, shaky breath in, and an equally shaky breath out. If the heroes noticed the teardrops dropping onto the floor below the man, they said nothing.

Bruce ignored the others, giving Marvel his whole focus as he pressed his hands against the glass. He kneeled down, sitting on his legs to stare at the rave that was so close, yet so, so far away. "I should have been there. We all should have. I'm sorry we let you down. You never-" he swallowed, shutting his eyes tightly when the image of Billy being tortured flashed in his mind.

"You never should have had to experience something like that."

Captain Marvel lifted his head, his composure shattered, the mask of anger and ease he'd been wearing gone as he stared at Bruce openly. There was so much pain there, enough for three lifetimes, and more than Bruce had _ever_ wanted Billy to go through. 

"Sh-Shazam," The man said, thunder rolling in the distance as a bolt of lightning came down and transformed the man back into Billy Batson. 

A weak, thin, scarred Billy Batson took the place of the demigod, trembling on the floor and looking at Bruce with tears trailing down his scarred cheeks. The Bat tensed at the sight of a jagged scar running across the boy's eyes, resisting the urge to slam his fist into the glass when he noticed the eye was milky and a lighter blue than the other.

"I-I-I'm sso-sor-" Billy tried to speak, his voice hoarse as he shook violently on the floor.

"I can't do this," Barry said, vanishing in a red blur and appearing at the console, bringing down the walls before blurring towards the boy and appearing at his side. Billy flinched violently, eyes screwing shut as he shied away from the speedster. Bruce was on his feet in seconds, tugging the blonde away from the boy.

"Get away from him," he growled, the voice just as effective without the cowl covering his face.

He turned his attention back on the 12-year-old currently shaking like a leaf on the floor in front of him. He crouched down, scooting closer slowly and approaching the boy like one a wounded dog. "It's okay, Billy. I would never hurt you," the larger raven said honestly- he was one of the only people on the League that Bruce just couldn't bring himself to come up with a contingency for. 

"I swear, Billy, this will never happen again. You're safe, here- I know that we weren't there for you when you needed us most, but please, I'm begging you-" his voice was soft, gloved hand out as he spoke.

"Give us a chance to make it up to you."

\- - -

Bruce found himself carrying the frail boy in his arms, the world around him slowing to a crawl as a low buzz in the back of his head drowned out the noise of the world around him. He carried the thin, scarred boy to the medical ward, setting him down in a bed and hooking him to an IV.

Billy had clutched tightly to his hand the entire time, grip loosening only when he started to lose consciousness. Bruce sat beside the boy's bed, watching him sleep soundly for what might have been the first time in nearly a year. 

It made the man's skin crawl to think of the things billy had been through. Images flashed in his mind and made his heart pound in his chest, sending his fatherly instincts into overdrive and causing him to pace as the foot of the bed. Ironically reminiscent of how he'd started out this little adventure- if it could even be called that.

He'd forbidden anyone else from entering the room beside him and Zatanna for Billy's sake- Zatanna was only allowed in there because she'd told him she may be able to help him heal. If it was up to him, Billy would be in the Batcave, recuperating in peace and quiet with constant surveillance from both him and Alfred- as well as some of the boys, as they'd likely insist on helping once learning about the kid's situation.

But it wasn't up to him, so here they were, in the medical ward of the satellite, the rest of the group waiting outside the door anxiously. 

Billy shifted in his sleep, head smushing against the plush pillow under his head. Bruce glanced at the boy, his gaze sticking on the long, jagged scar that crossed over the boy's eye. It was jarring to think that the eye underneath could be blind- he shook his head, pushing the thought from his mind. It wasn't something he could focus on, he needed to look ahead- needed to figure out how to help Billy heal.

"Batman?" Zatanna opened the door, poking her head inside. "The others are antsy to see Billy. Is it alright if I let them in?" she asked.

"Bruce sighed, plopping down in the seat beside the 12-year-old. "Fine," he muttered, scooting the chair closer and setting a calloused, gloveless hand over top of Billy's scarred one.

Zatanna allowed the others to come into the room as the came closer, holding out a hand as a lilac glow appeared around her hand. Bruce's eyes turned stern, glancing up at the woman. "I'm checking his insides- Clark is fine with his x-ray vision and all, but he's not a doctor. No offense," she said, glancing back at the Kryptonian. 

Superman simply shook his head, watching her work.

"He's got scarring on some of his organs, as well as lacerations to some inner muscles and tearing in some joints. I might be able to fix it, but he's gonna need to stay in bed to make sure everything heals properly," Zatanna said, glancing at Bruce. 

"What about his eye?"

The woman glanced at Billy's sleeping face, her eyes softening at the sight of him. "I'll see what I can do."

Bruce nodded once, wrapping his hand around Billy's hand and squeezing it. He felt the boy's hand twitch in response, and he glanced at his face- only to find icy blue eyes looking sleepily at him mas they opened. 

"M...sor...srr.." Billy tried to speak, his voice cracking as he attempted to speak- only to be shushed by both Bruce and Zatanna.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Billy. We get it. We know why you did what you did- and we're gonna do our best to undo what he did. Zatanna's gonna try to fix your wounds- and we're gonna call in John Constantine to see if he can do something about that trauma," he explained, the boy lighting up slightly at the mention of the Hellblazer.

"Why am I not surprised you know him already..." The Dark Knight asked with a shake of his head, his hand never leaving Billy's.

A small, weak smile graced the boy's face, giving the heroes in the room a glimpse of the sunshine they'd never realized they'd missed so much. It made Bruce smile- a genuine, warm smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle- one that few people ever saw.

"Get some rest, Billy. I'll be here when you wake up," he said, rubbing a thumb gently over the back of the boy's hand.

"P-promise?"

Bruce nodded. "I promise."

The Dark Knight leaned back in his chair as Billy closed his eyes again, head lolling to the side as he fell asleep quickly. The glow faded from Zatanna's hands and she gave the billionaire a look before shooing the other heroes out the door. "Take care of him, Bruce," she said.

"I will."

Billy's soul may have been splintered like Diana said- fractured and torn, with sharp edges and blood dripping from the points- but they still had all the pieces. Bruce would make _sure_ that they put them all back together- no matter how long it took.

Cause Captain Marvel- Billy- he was worth the wait.

\- - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please please please please tell me what you guys think- I don't wanna threaten Billy anymore, I really don't...
> 
> ....but I will if that's what it comes down to. COMMENT! I CARE ABOUT NOTHING ELSE!


End file.
